Highest hand in cribbage: 29. Three 5s and a Jack, with the fourth 5 cut as the starter in the Jack’s suit. 4 of a kind scores 12, 3 of a kind scores 6. See all the best cribbage hands and their odds.
Points in the show (counting hands)
| Combination | Example | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen — any cards adding to 15 | 7♥︎ + 8♣︎ | 2 each |
| Pair | 9♥︎ 9♠︎ | 2 |
| 3 of a kind (pair royal) | Q♥︎ Q♠︎ Q♦︎ | 6 |
| 4 of a kind (double pair royal) | 4♥︎ 4♠︎ 4♦︎ 4♣︎ | 12 |
| Run of 3 | 3♣︎ 4♦︎ 5♠︎ | 3 |
| Run of 4 | 9♥︎ 10♣︎ J♦︎ Q♠︎ | 4 |
| Run of 5 | A♥︎ 2♣︎ 3♦︎ 4♠︎ 5♥︎ | 5 |
| Flush — 4 hand cards of one suit | 2♥︎ 6♥︎ 9♥︎ Q♥︎ | 4 |
| Flush — hand and starter all one suit | five ♥︎ cards | 5 |
| His nobs — Jack matching the starter’s suit | J♠︎ with a ♠︎ starter | 1 |
Card values: Ace = 1, 2–10 = face value, Jack, Queen, King = 10. Aces are always low in runs.
Points during the play (pegging)
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Count reaches exactly 15 | 2 |
| Count reaches exactly 31 | 2 |
| Pair (same rank as the card just played) | 2 |
| Pair royal (three in a row) | 6 |
| Double pair royal (four in a row) | 12 |
| Run of 3+ among the latest cards, any order | 1 per card |
| Go (last card under 31) | 1 |
| Last card of the hand | 1 |
| His heels — dealer turns a Jack as starter | 2 |
Multiple runs: the shortcuts
When a pair sits inside a run, every version of the run counts. These patterns come up all the time, so it helps to know them by heart. The points below include the pairs and runs, but not any fifteens.
| Pattern | Example | Runs + pairs |
|---|---|---|
| Double run of 3 | 4♥︎ 5♣︎ 5♦︎ 6♠︎ | 8 |
| Double run of 4 | 7♥︎ 8♣︎ 8♦︎ 9♠︎ 10♥︎ | 10 |
| Triple run of 3 | 3♥︎ 4♣︎ 4♦︎ 4♠︎ 5♥︎ | 15 |
| Double-double run of 3 | 6♥︎ 6♣︎ 7♦︎ 7♠︎ 8♥︎ | 16 |
Cribbage flush rules
- In your hand: all 4 hand cards the same suit scores 4. If the starter matches too, it scores 5.
- In the crib: only a 5-card flush counts — all 4 crib cards and the starter in one suit — for 5 points. Four crib cards of one suit score nothing.
- During pegging: flushes never score.
Fifteens to look for
- Two cards: 5 + any ten-card (10, J, Q, K) · 6 + 9 · 7 + 8
- Three cards: e.g. A + 4 + 10 · 2 + 3 + 10 · 2 + 6 + 7 · 3 + 4 + 8 · 3 + 5 + 7 · 4 + 5 + 6
- Four or five cards: e.g. A + 2 + 3 + 9 · A + 3 + 5 + 6 · A + 2 + 4 + 8 · A + A + 3 + 10
Tip: count fifteens first, card by card, then pairs, then runs, then flush, then nobs. Saying it out loud (“fifteen-two, fifteen-four, and a pair is six”) helps you avoid missing any.
Highest hands in cribbage
| Hand + starter | Points |
|---|---|
| 5♥︎ 5♣︎ 5♦︎ J♠︎ + 5♠︎ starter | 29 |
| 5♥︎ 5♣︎ 5♦︎ 5♠︎ + any ten-card | 28 |
| 4♥︎ 4♣︎ 5♦︎ 6♠︎ + 6♣︎ | 24 |
| 6♥︎ 7♣︎ 8♦︎ 8♠︎ + 7♠︎ | 24 |
| 3♥︎ 3♣︎ 3♦︎ 3♠︎ + 9♣︎ | 24 |
| 7♥︎ 7♣︎ 8♦︎ 8♠︎ + 8♣︎ | 20 |
| 5♥︎ 5♣︎ 6♦︎ 4♠︎ + J♠︎ | 16 |
More examples, and how often each score comes up, on the best cribbage hands page.
Impossible scores: 19, 25, 26 and 27. That’s why a zero hand is jokingly called “nineteen”.
Questions
How do you count points in cribbage?
Count in the same order every time: fifteens (2 each), then pairs (2 each), then runs (1 per card), then a flush (4 or 5), then his nobs (1). Always include the starter card.
How many points is 4 of a kind in cribbage?
Four of a kind is 12 points (six pairs). Three of a kind is 6 points (three pairs). The same values apply in your hand, in the crib and during pegging.
What is the highest possible cribbage hand?
29 points: three 5s and the Jack in your hand, with the fourth 5 as the starter in the same suit as your Jack. Only one hand in about 216,000 is a 29.
Which scores are impossible in cribbage?
No hand can score 19, 25, 26 or 27 points. Players say “nineteen” as a joke when their hand scores zero.
Does a flush count in the crib?
Only if all five cards, the four crib cards and the starter, are the same suit. Then it scores 5. A four-card flush does not count in the crib.
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